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Sarek

The Return

By Northern Adventures

Introduction

(THU SEP 8th - SAT SEP 17th, 2016)

Last year, we became so mesmerized and thrilled by the unspoiled, deserted wilderness of the Sarek national park, Sweden that we almost immediately upon our return decided for yet another trip to this northern adventurous paradise.

The same group, the same part of the year (beginning of September), and more ambitious route was planned for The Return.

The journey was both the same and different than the last year. The same nature, peaks, valleys, rivers; though we followed almost completely different route than the previous year, Sarek appeared to us like a familiar, already discovered place. Yet the mood of the trip was somehow different: the less exploration of unknown wilderness, the more adventurous side trips, hikes and climbs.

Only now, after the second trip, I feel confident enough to say that we have somehow mapped or explored the national park. Know what is where, what are the routes, what are the dangers and annoyances, and what are the highlights. Surely, there is already another route we put together. We will return. I consider it certain.

How We Went

Day 1: From Ritsem On Padjelanta Trail

Once again, it wasn't easy to reach Sarek quickly and efficiently.

This time, we flew to Gällivare instead of Kiruna (two separate flights were needed to get reasonable air tickets price. This meant luggage pick-up in Stockholm and another check-in). We camped in Gällivare and took a morning bus to Ritsem (four hours with a lunch break). And from Ritsem... we used a helicopter! At the beginning of September, there was no regular boat transfer across the Akkajaure lake any more, and two of the locals who own a boat were hunting moose out in the wild.

So we took a helicopter. And it was a great albeit short experience, as one may expect!

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We landed at Änonjalme and immediately started to hike to the south, using the well-maintained Padjelanta trail. Quite surprisingly, this northern part of Padjelanta was unexpectedly interesting and we enjoyed it quite a lot.

On the contrary to the previous year, autumn was already in progress: beautiful birch woods, colourful tundra, no mosquitoes, and complete solitude: no other hikers around.

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We crossed the mighty Vuojatädno river using a spectacular footbridge and then hiked along its shores for quite a time.

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Autumn days are pretty short even way up north; after a few hours and already in the evening, we reached another footbridge across a small stream with a camping area nearby, and decided to camp there. It was cloudy, not warm, but at least it wasn't raining.

The weather forecast was mixed, which is one of the better options in Sarek - there is nothing like a continuous sunny weather across a longer period of time.

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Day 2: From Padjelanta to Sarek

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I woke up early to try to witness the first sunrise in the wild during the trip - and got lucky for a few minutes. The beautiful morning light bathed tundra landscape and surrounding hills in its golden colour for some time until clouds settled and created cloudy mood for the whole day, exactly as was forecast.

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We planned to hike for a few hours on Padjelanta and then leave the well-marked trail just after a bridge across the Sjnjuvtjudisjåhkå river.

It was a nice walk on Padjelanta trail in the beautiful autumn atmosphere - how many other people hiked the trail after us this year? End of season, melancholy in the air, solitude, and silence - maybe except for the blowing wind.

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Naturally and not surprisingly, there was no sign towards Sarek at the Sjnjuvtjudisjåhkå river, though there was an obvious narrow footpath along the river and an explanation board.

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We hiked in the eastern direction for about an hour until we decided to make a short lunch break at a small plateau above the river.

The place was an excellent campsite too. Still having a few sausages, we made a campfire (quite an exception during the day), and enjoyed warm lunch (for the last time during the trip).

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A long gentle ascent followed. We lost disappearing footpath soon, and followed common sense (and the map) for a few hours.

First reindeer herd, cloudy weather, wet terrain: Sarek welcomed us in its typical way.

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We continued hiking to the southeast below the spectacular Niják mountain, and finally pitched our tent at an old wooden Sápmi hut close to the Ruohtesvárásj hill.

It was a long and tough day: difficult wet tundra terrain in the afternoon, no sun, occasional light rain, and heavy backpacks.

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Day 3: Through Ruohtesvágge valley to Smaila Moot

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The morning was foggy. Very foggy. And autumn morning fog usually means sun, after some time. So we waited, patiently, enjoyed our breakfasts - and then, finally, the sun broke through thick foggy whiteness and created beautiful autumn atmosphere for an hour or two.

We were thankful: these moments never last too long, however they bring much-needed optimism and form highlights of the trip.

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In the beautiful Ruohtesvágge valley, we continued hiking to the south along the Smájllájåhkå river. Cloudy and sunny weather regularly took their turns and hiking on the well-trodden path we followed was easy though a bit wet.

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We camped at a small wooden hut (and meteorological station) near a footbridge across the Smájllájåhkå river - this place in the middle of Sarek serves as a natural meeting point of hikers.

In total, we spent two days here - and met three other (solitary) hikers. In fact, this was the only time we also *talked* to someone when inside Sarek; one hardly meets anybody during the wandering here.

Then, during the evening, another miracle happened - orange light of the setting sun broke through thick clouds for almost ten minutes, and shone on the river, surrounding grassland and mountains peaks, creating a magical evening performance. Yet another timeless moment - I tried my best to capture this nature beauty with my camera, though pictures cannot really show how special and unforgettable this beautiful evening was.

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Day 4: Hiking below Skárjátjåhkkå

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We woke up into a cloudy morning. (Heavy) rain was forecast. And a fellow hiker with his satellite phone confirmed the very wet weather promise. It seemed like there is no way to avoid long hours of constant downpour.

After some hesitation, we decided for a short hike to the north, aiming to climb one of the hills below the Skárjátjåhkkå mountain that should give us 360° views of the Guohpervágge and Ráhpavágge valleys.

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It was a nice walk, steep in a few sections, and in two hours we reached a small plateau below the Skárjátjåhkkå mountain.

The views from the viewpoint were prominent: narrow Guohpervágge valley to the north, and beautiful delta of the Ráhpajåhkå river below us in the southern direction. Very strong wind was blowing. Dark clouds full of rain were moving fast through the valleys.

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We returned back to the small hut and our tent - and it started to rain. And it rained, rained, and rained... all the time. The whole afternoon, all the day long, through the night, and in the next morning too. It was just a constant uninterrupted rain.

It was windy, too - and the night spent in our tent that was left at the mercy of the fierce storm was playing with our nerves a bit - we literally had to keep the tent standing and prevent its tearing up to pieces. Sarek showed us its darker side during the night.

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Day 5: From Smaila Moot to Rapaselet

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Rain and wind, wind and rain... weather finally started to settle down during the late morning. Everything was soaking wet: we had experienced a long, long period of rain. The tent was wet (but thankfully, dry inside), and the terrain was wet - and I mean WET.

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We descended to the Ráhpajåhkå river; it was cold and windy, however at least the sun was breaking through thick layer of clouds, warming us a little bit. The water in the river was flowing fast - after the rains, the water level was high, and the current was rather strong.

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We camped on the ridge between Låddebákte and Stuor Skoarkki mountains with commanding views over the Rapadalen valley. Campfire, nice weather, well-deserved dinner... a beautiful spot indeed. One of those magical evenings in the wild.

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Day 6: Låddebákte and further downstream on Ráhpaädno

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We got up early since we had planned a long day. Hoping for some sun, we at breakfast quickly, and started to ascent the pass above us aiming to finally climb the prominent Låddebákte mountain.

Last year, we only reached the pass below it; this year, we wanted to see the most beautiful deltas of Sarek from above.

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It was a long ascent. It may have taken us two hours or so to reach the upper part of Låddebákte; it's a land of stones and boulders, and one has to carefully look under his or her feet when hiking up or down.

It was cloudy and there were a few rain drops, too - but when we reached the top, the views became absolutely stunning no matter clouds and lack of sunlight. There was beautiful delta of Rapadalen below us in the south direction. And there was Ráhpajåhkå river to the northwest.

Surely, we weren't the first hikers on top of the mountain, and cairns marking all the three tops of Låddebákte were big enough to prove it. Still, I was wondering: how many reach this place each year? I would be surprised if more than a few...

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We got back to our camp around lunchtime, and after lunch we descended back to the Ráhpaädno river and its Rapaselet delta in the upper part of Rapadalen.

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We camped on the shore of lower Ráhpaädno in a beautiful campsite we discovered last year (and saved its GPS position). There was everything: beautiful river, clean water, nice view, and birch wood. And on top of that, there was aurora borealis, our long-time friend.

The more one aims to see and admire northern lights, the smaller is the probability to witness this natural phenomenon; this is my experience. And on the contrary: not hoping for seeing it, it surprised us right after the sunset with its strength and beautiful performance in the skies.

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Day 7: Along Ráhpaädno to Tjahkelij mountain

We woke up into a cloudy overcast day and it didn't take long for the rain to come.

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The rain only ceased in the evening; we camped in the middle of a dense birch forest not far from the Ráhpaädno river.

Evening campfire was nice and warming, however it was the sunset and evening light performance that brought as to a silent awe: such intense colours in the skies, rain replaced by evening sunlight, dark violet clouds... beautiful!

Here, we were truly in the wild. On the southern side of Ráhpaädno, I had strong doubts how many people have been here before us; there were neither paths nor any other traces of human presence.

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Day 8: From Tjahkelij to Pårtekietje

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We woke up into a beautiful sunny morning. Finally, some sun and blue skies... we were thankful. We finished drying of our clothes and the tent, and started to hike to the south through a dense birch forest, slowly ascending a pass ahead of us.

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Then, we left our backpacks behind, and started to climb the prominent Tjahkelij mountain.

Last year, we were at the top of Skierffe during both sunset and sunrise, and saw Tjahkelij from the other side. This year, we opted for Tjahkelij, aiming to see lower Rapadalen from the south.

It was a nice climb. Again, how many people have been here before us? And how many of them this year? Sure, there was a big cairn on the top, as expected. And there was even a defunct reindeer fence near the top. But still... it was a wild area, no people around, just us and one of the most beautiful views on the Earth.

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We returned back to our backpacks and continued hiking to the southeast, following a ridge below Tjahkelij, and slowly descending to the valley below it. Here, there were no footpaths, just dense woods and wet marshland areas.

Or better said, there were paths: moose ones. And we followed them, admiring how clever these beautiful animals are - they naturally choose the best way, and hiking on their "highways" was almost as much comfortable as on Kungsleden.

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Later in the afternoon, we finally reached the Kungsleden trail. Different story began: well-marked and well-trodden path, walkboard sections, footbridges across rivers and streams... everything that tired hiker welcomes and appreciates.

I enjoyed some solitary moods up in the plateau close to the Pårtekietje shelter, with moon rising over the Tjakjajaure lake. Beautiful moments...

Evening and night were cold - slightly below 0°C, and the temperature outside our tent became less comfortable, bearable only in a close proximity to the campfire we made.

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Day 9: From Pårtekietje to Stuor Dáhtá lake

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Next morning, we continued hiking on Kungsleden trail aiming to get as close to Kvikkjokk as possible - however still wanting to find a beautiful camping spot somewhere in the wild.

The path offered us beautiful views in the uplands, especially above birch woods close to the Pårtestugan hut.

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We had lunch at the beautifully located Pårtestugan hut. Friendly wardens were about to close and leave the hut in a few days - season was nearing its end. I was almost a bit envy of their time here: such an unspoiled place, wooden hut, fishing on the lake, picking up blueberries... a true deep north paradise.

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We were told by the warden that there is a beautiful camping spot on a small peninsula at the Stuor Dáhtá lake - and we were quite happy to find it, being frustrated by the boring and barren Kungsleden path that lead through deep woods along the lake.

Here, yet again, we realized how boring Kungsleden may be - especially when compared to stunning landscapes and vistas of Sarek. Don't take me wrong: Kungsleden is surely beautiful... but when you experience more extraordinary areas around it, you will never want to stick solely to Kungsleden again.

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The camping spot we found at the Stuor Dáhtá lake was surely the best we enjoyed during the trip.

Tranquil atmosphere, beautiful sunny evening, no wind, clear water - a special place to spend the night. I personally burned all the waste we found at the campsite - and there was a lot of waste left by previous campers and hikers. What a shame: such a pity there are still people around who don't feel ashamed to leave such a beautiful spot with so much rubbish behind.

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Day 10: From Stuor Dáhtá lake to Kvikkjokk

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The last day began in a cloudy way - brief moments of early morning sunshine were promptly replaced by cloudy overcast weather. Dull hiking on Kungsleden continued... really not much fun. The only highlight was the view of the mighty Gamájåhkå river in Kvikkjokk.

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In Kvikkjokk Fjällstation, we enjoyed a delicious, warm and well-deserved lunch (our first "real" meal after 10 days!) and a few beers (horribly expensive, especially when compared to Czech beer prices :-)).

Then, we spent our last hour in Kvikkjokk at the beautiful wooden church with a graveyard - a true melancholic farewell to this picturesque settlement, Kungsleden and Sarek.

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It's difficult to describe Sarek and what it may mean for anyone who hasn't been there yet. It's a special place. A hidden gem. A delight. It's a place where adventure is not only ensured; it's an unavoidable and essential part of the trip. Remote areas, mighty peaks, glaciers one may see only from hills and not from valleys. Unmarked trails, cold glacial rivers, birch woods, reindeer, moose, and other animals.

Some call it the last European wilderness. I don't give a nickname; it would be incomplete and not fitting. Sarek is unique.

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Footnotes

All images are exclusive property and may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transmitted, manipulated or used in any way without permission of the author.

FootNotes

All images are exclusive property and may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transmitted, manipulated or used in any way without permission of the author.

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